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Campbell hits the $1million milestone
Driver Drew Campbell secures his fourth win on Sunday (11/22) behind Real Courtesy as the tandem holds off the late charge of Cardiogram. With the victory Campbell passed the $1 million level in seasonal purse winnings, becoming the first Maine-based driver to accomplish the feat. Read the release. Photo by Derek Davis
A Switz-pack: Switzers Dominate with Six Wins!
Driver Kevin Switzer, Jr., takes a zippy tour around the seaside oval behind Shabash, an 11-year-old bay gelding, owned and trained by Michael Hitchcock of Hampden, ME, giving the pacer his 60th career win in Race 5 on Saturday (11/21). This was the first of 2 wins on the day's card for Switzer, Jr. (both of which were timed at 1:58.3), while dad Kevin Switzer, Sr. racked up 4 wins. That means Switzers dominated half the race card! Congratulations guys! See the results. Photo by Michael Newman.
It's 5 for the Fox
Driver Leigh Fitch, aka "The Fox," was super sly on the racetrack on Friday (11/20), winning 5 races on the day's card. The wins started right out of the gate with Race 1 and Hezapeach, a 9-year-old bay gelding owned and trained by Stacy Lord of Sebago, ME. Fitch is only 10 away from 7,500 lifetime wins! Congratulations! Read the release. Photo by Michael Newman.
All in a day's work: SEVEN wins for Campbell!
Driver Drew Campbell scored 7 wins... count 'em SEVEN! out of 12 races on Sunday's card (11/15), a feat even New England's winningist driver has never accomplished. The wins were achieved in Races 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11. Above, Preyingondaylite, a 9-year-old mare owned by Ryan Berry of Oxford, ME (trained by Ellery Corson), provided the winning combo in Race 5; the mile raced in 1:58.1. "Everything was going right today," said Campbell. Read the release. Photo by Michael Newman.
Bikini Kinda Weather?
Saturday (11/14) wasn't exactly sunny and warm, but Bikini Kinda Guy, a 10-year-old gelding pacer owned and trained by Mark Harris of Bewer, didn't seem to notice: He scored a great win with driver Drew Campbell in Race 5 under rainy skies. But racing ended just before the real downpours arrived in Maine. Live racing is back Sunday at 12:05 with a much brighter forecast! Photo by Derek Davis.
"Who do you like!?"
Four across the wire! An exciting day of racing on Friday the 13th, especially in race 7 when 4 horses were so tight on the wire, the judges had to examine a photograph to determine the order of finish. From left to right: #2 MR DB (Shane Taggart), #6 Lightnin Spur (Rob Dinning), #5 Mr Matturday Night (Alex McDonald) and #1 Dartanion (Mark Athern). But it was Lighnin Spur and Rob Dinning who won it by a hair on a nose. Time for the mile for all 4 was 2:01.4. See the day's results here. Photo by Derek Davis.
Other notable wins on 11/13: Congrats to amazing 14-year-old Another Lindy in Race 8, to Dua Don for 7 wins in a row, to Rob Dinning for 3 driving wins, and to owner Kevin Gee for two wins on the day's card!
Calla Lily Gal in Full Bloom
Calla Lily Gal, a 6-year-old bay mare owned and trained by James Heap of Farmington Falls (driven by John Beckwith), hit her 14th seasonal win in Race 5 on Sunday (11/8). Congratulations, girl! Other congrats: drivers Rob Dinning and Drew Campbell each scored 3 wins on the day's card! It was a great day for the races with temps in the upper 60s. See all the winners. Photo by Michael Newman
Guapo makes "handsome" finish
Guapo, a 3-year-old bay gelding owned by Dennis and Deborah Foss of Rye, NH, and trained by Wendy Ireland (on left with driver Shane Taggart), pulls past driver Gary Mosher and Heart Condition for a photo finish in race 3 on Saturday (11/7). Guapo fans rejoiced as the young horse seems to have put the past behind him: an unfortunate mishap during the Breeders Stakes colt pacing final on 10/18 took him out of the race and required strict R&R. But he's strong and sound and we all couldn't be prouder! Photo by Michael Newman.
Congrats also to Rob Dinning for 4 driving wins on Saturday's (11/7) card!
Par One Hits 50th Career Win
Par One, a 13-year-old brown trotting horse, owned and trained by Jon Chenard of Biddeford, ME (Drew Campbell driving), hit his 50th lifetime win in Race 2 on Friday (11/6), and has bankrolled almost $500k in purses. Nice job! See all the day's finishers.... Photo by Derek Davis.
5 for Switzer
Driver Kevin Switzer expertly steers America Village, a 7-year-old brown mare, owned by Kyle & Robert Gibbs of Brooks, ME (trained by Steven Vafiades) to the winner's circle in 1:58.4 in the feature pace on Sunday (Nov. 1). It's been a week of top performances and Switzer is no exception: he had 5 (count 'em... FIVE!) big wins on the day's program. Congratulations, Kevin! See all the day's results. Photo by Derek Davis.
Halloween features "Ghoulishly" great talent on the track!
Happy Halloween! ...although Saturday, Oct. 31 could be aptly dubbed, "Dinning/Gee/Bickmore Day," as driver Rob Dinning scored 5 exciting wins and owner Kevin Gee of Falmouth had 4 wins, (with trainer Randy Bickmore) on the day's card. The winning trio started in Race 3 with Philo Beddoe, continued in Race 4 with Rusty's Rascal (below), in Race 6 with Nothing's Ever Free, a 3-year-old bay filly pacer (above), and in Race 9 with Show-Time-Sam. Dinning also won in Race 8 with the Kyle Gibbs-owned Town Fool. The racing was fast and exciting, and the temps remained a balmy 64 degrees. Post time for Sunday moves to 12:05 pm. Photo by Michael Newman.
Rusty's Rascal, owned by Kevin Gee of Falmouth and trained by Randy Bickmore (Rob Dinning in the sulky), proved Saturday 10/31 they're a winning combination. Photo by Michael Newman.
Another Lindy's Still Got it
Fourteen-year-old Another Lindy, owned and trained by Richard Bartlett, trots his way to the finishline with driver Kevin Switzer, proving that trotters improve with age as he hits his 60th career win on Friday (10/30)! You go, boy! This will be Another Lindy's final season at the races: at 14, all Standardbred race horses must retire from the track. Come see Another Lindy and all this year's retirees in the Standardbred Retirement Ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 20th! Photo by Derek Davis.
Also Congratulations to 11-year-old Dua Don (and the Trotting Guru Dickie Robertson) for his 25th Career Win in Race 10 on Friday, 10/30!
Also Congrats Drew Campbell for 4 wins on the day's card on Friday 10/30!
It's Winning Dinning's Turn
Rob Dinning is in the lead in Race 2 with Show-Time-Sam, an 8-year-old gelding owned by Kevin Gee of Falmouth (trained by Randy Bickmore), with Gold Ball and driver Kevin Switzer coming up from behind to take 2nd place. This was one of three victories for Dinning on Sunday's (10/25) card - he visited the Winner's Cirlce in Race 2, Race 5 and Race 8. Congrats Rob! Photo by Michael Newman.
Mighty Thunder and Gray
No, that's not the weather forecast - Mighty Thunder, a 10-year-old bay gelding, owned by Kyle Gibbs of Brooks, Maine, and trained by Steven Vafiades, hit his 50th lifetime win under rainy skies on Saturday, Oct. 24th, with Shawn Gray driving. Gray ended up scoring 4 big wins on the day's card. See the complete results. Photo by Derek Davis
A 5 Bagger and heroics for Campbell
Driver Drew Campbell scores 5 (FIVE!) wins on the day's card on Friday, a well-deserved reward after his heroic feat in Race 3.... see photo below. Photo by Michael Newman.
Driver Drew Campbell safely returns Sids Drama in Race 3, after a mishap in the first turn that separated horse and driver. He expertly positioned himself to grab the reigns of Sid at the 3/4 mile marker while still driving GoodGirl GoneBad, and led the colt to safety with no incident. He showed great horsemanship... and flexibility! Driver Kevin Pillsbury checked out fine with no injuries. Read the release. Photo by Michael Newman.
Breeders Weekend Starts off with 2-Year-Olds
Bad Boy Billy, owned by Michael Andrew of Gorham and trained by Gordon Corey (Leigh Fitch driving), successfully defended his two-year-old stakes trotting title Sunday (10/18) at Scarborough Downs while beating the track record for 3-year-colt trotters set by his stable mate just last year.
More pictures from Sunday's Stakes Action!
TheBandFromBoston, holds off the determined charge of A Capella Bella, to claim the top prize in the $77,577 filly trotting division (Gary Mosher driving). Photo by Michael Newman.
In a big upset, it was The Salem Witch, with driver Stephen Mahar, Race 9, who championed the $77,658 Filly Pacing division, leaving the heavily-favored Pembroke Whittney settling for 3rd. Photo by Derek Davis.
It was SignThePaige, with driver Shawn Gray, who took the win in Race 11, the $77,669 Colt Pace division. Neutral Court with Mike Graffam trailed a close second in the much-anticipated showdown between the two stablemates. Photo by Michael Newman.
A Tribute to Ed
The Szalajeskis, family of the late track photographer and friend, Ed Szalajeski, enjoyed a day at the races on Sunday (10/18). Race 8 was dedicated to their son who sadly passed away last December. Photo by Derek Davis.
Super Sire Stakes Weekend Kicks off with the Freshman Ladies
Maine Super Sire Stakes Weekend kicked off on Saturday (10/17) with the 2-year-old Trotting and Pacing Finals. Current Chip, owned by Thomas Dillon of Anson and Walter Hight of Skowhegan, (trained by Don Richards), got things started with the $52,611 Filly Trot in Race 5 and secured her 8th consecutive win with driver Wally Watson in the sulky. Stakes action continues Sunday with the 3-year-old finals featuring the much-anticipated showdown between Neutral Court (below) and stablemate Sign the Paige in the $77k Colt Pace division. Post time: 12:45 pm. Read the release. Photo by Michael Newman.
Mike Graffam with Neutral Court. Photo by Derek Davis.
Read the stakes coverage article in the Portland Press Herald (10/16).
Our fall Live Harness Racing meet begins Friday, Oct. 16th, post time: 12:45 every Friday, Saturday & Sunday!
Watch one of the Scarborough Downs "Get to the Track" TV Commercials for 2008 starring Drew Campbell and CC Bag A Luck! Simply click on the center icon to watch.
